Yeah, that is a key... Having friends with an oz. of life left in them... My buddy Dan is 27, but still has the mentality of a 21 year old guy, so he's all about going to clubs/bars... At least a couple nights a week. He and his girlfriend both have their costumes for this weekend, and my other buddy Eric lives for Halloween.

He's in prosthetics as his profession, so he goes all out every year. Last year his costume was a Satan that had platform prosthetic legs, an unfolding set of wings on tracks/pullies that were hidden, goat-skin leggings/hoofs, a form-fitting prosthetic body-suit... All hand-made.

This year it's an elaborate Jack Sparrow and his girlfriend's going as that woman from the PotC movie.

I found that Halloween became less than important for most of my teen years, but when I turned 21 I was opened up to the world of Halloween weekend at clubs in the city.

Most give away prizes and there's great costume contests... It opens up. It's probably the better night at clubs you'll have all year if you ask me. Last year was tops really... Great night out with friends, drinking and having a blast... Even made it into the finals for the contest that year.

When you're younger though, Halloween goes from being dressing up and going door-to-door to doing nothing really. My family's always decorated extensively, done that kinda stuff, but you just don't do a lot unless there's a party being thrown by someone at school or something.

Economical gas mileage, sporty looks, speed/power without an outrageously costly engine, reliable in every way, dependable in winter conditions/bad roads, and of course a lovely convertible. Pain in the ass to maintain the tops, but worth it IMO.

Now... If we still have the leftover cash, I'm gonna nab a Corvette Stingray too... 79'll do. Or a restored 59 Thunderbird convertible. That's a classy weekend ride.

That's kinda funny... There is over-sensitivity there on many issues, by a vast majority of people. Tack onto that all the liars, all the completely arrogant people, all the "kids" (not all kids are bad, but the "kids" are guys like Gen Windu, yodaboi, etc. who are considered above and beyond annoying), and all the condescending attitudes.

There's a lotta Comic-Book-Guy syndromes over there... Especially towards new people (old or young) and it transcends sections of that site. Vintage has them, Modern areas have them, the film sections have them, and Wuhers has them by the truckload.

Also, there's guys there that simply aren't respectable... The kind that fight just to fight, argue a point when they're wrong (Some even being proven they were arguing the opposite way in other threads), and won't back down at all... These are people that simply like hearing themselves talk, and making sure everyone else has eyes on them. Little attention from their parents, so they crave it on internet forums.

Then there's the political BS... There's still guys there that think making a point politically is what every post should be about, even when against the rules of the site... It's one of the few rules Scum tries hard to enforce.

I mean, there's names there that really should've been banned LONG ago, even when it was a half-decent forum, but they still are trolling around... Some of them are people let back in that were rightfully kicked out in the first place even.

Yet someone makes a Nazi "joke" because of the over-policing on some issues, and that whole site is up in arms on it. I'll never get that way of running things. That's what doesn't make sense, and I think it's the reason for the downhill days.

Do you think you'll not buy a pre-posed, or otherwise specific version? Suspending disbelief on the action features for the moment, as I can't think of anyone (sane) who actually thought those were the hottest idea in Hasbro's history of not hot ideas.

To me, the SA only enhances the pre-posed figures to me. Like VOTC Han kicks ass in every way imagineable, but there's the bonus enjoyment I now get out of the POTJ Death Star Escape Han because I have that VOTC Han that is the definitive to me. DSE just looks kinda cool now, whereas before I really hated that figure and considered it a sheer waste.

I really love these new E3 figure images... Proof Hasbro's learned something in the last 2 years or so... Collection 2 figures weren't vaguely close to this level of quality in Saga's run, so I'm really excited at what is awaiting us with ROTS, and then what could be coming beyond that! I can't friggin' wait.

Best figures ever are coming our way now and in the future... That's bright news. They know how to go into a line's (supposed) ending period, and make you wish it wasn't stopping any time soon.

The ANH VOTC are ALL OVER the place at Wal-Marts. Those things are bought, literally by the dozen at those stores. Who ever thought buying that many cases of one wave was a good idea needs to lose his/her job because that glut's gonna kill seeing VOTC ESB/ROTJ at Wal-Mart in my area I think, short of a surge of people buying those VOTC up that aren't avid collectors.

The ANH are only sporatically seen at any other store though, so that's good.

Most Targets haven't got more than 4 VOTC figures on the shelves total.

OTC's pegwarming with select figures... mostly the Luke's (all types), the repack bounty hunters, R2 (with wheels), Han Cantina (of course), Dago Wave, Bespin Wave remnants (CCP never sits, proving once again that Army builders always sell well for a longer period when they're done right), and that's about the OTC situation...

No OTC like the Stormtrooper, Scout trooper, TIE Pilot, Gam Guard, Jawas, or Tusken Raider, ever seems to sit for any ammount of time. The Army builders, once again, move. I've yet to see (ever) a Gam Guard, Bib Fortuna, imperial Trooper, or the Endor wave repacks. I'd like the Endor wave figs and Gam guards, but alas I'm hosed.

The figure cases sold incredibly well unless they went to the back rooms of Wal-Mart, because one WM here had at least 2 dozen of 3PO and 2 dozen of Vader, and now they have 2 of each at most. It's a big, high-traffic store, but I'm even in awe that they sold most of those through.

The little kiddie figures (Galactic Heroes or whatever) are everywhere. I mean, tons. I kinda wish they marketed these away from the other figures, but I digress.

TONS of OTC vehicles except the Slave I at Target. All the rest are out in abundance. TONS out there, none moving. I'll wait for clearances on anything I want, but what I want's extremely limited....

Beyond that, I think VOTC are a HUGE hit. $10 still moved figures... A mixed blessing. Only the ANH wave pegwarms, and it's arguably the worst wave overall AND it was also (as most 1st waves are) heavily overordered by some. K-Mart semi-did and Wal-Mart HORRIBLY did so. Only if ROTJ hits in that kinda mass will we all rejoice.

OTC's a mixed hit IMO. It's selling well, but bare in mind a lot of figures aren't evenly packed in it, a lot are "rare" in the first place (Endor wave), and the ones that shouldn't have been packed that most of us called Hasbro on in the first place are sitting just as we predicted.

one WM here even has one of every repack Cantina Han on their various cards. I **** you not, they have what is like a pseudo-retarded Darwinian evolutionary chart of that pile of **** that shouldn't have ever seen the light of day when they're releasing a vastly superior figure for $10 at the same time. Tell me more VOTC Hans wouldn't move if he was only available for $10, ya know?

The army builders, again, are moving. T hey're all pretty solid, even if I'm not fond of the Scout Trooper personally. It still moves. CCP though is proof that they move when done right, and Saga Hoth Rebel's proof they don't move when they're done terrible. I've got a Target here sporting a wall of Saga Hoth Rebels.

And on that note...

Saga still clogs the pegs. Some places have remnants of Star Destroyer and Yavin waves, though usually on Dodonna and Dengar, while other places have WALLS (Mostly Toys R Us stores) of the Hoth wave (R-3PO, Hoth Trooper, etc).

Not good... Then again, Toys R Us is the one with most Saga, and they've got Preview POTJ and POTJ Duros/Bespin Guards too... Though most BG's are gone now too, so kudos to him finally dwindling away from several Christmas's ago.

Retail isn't swift right now... That's the short of it. But there's empty pegs some places for some stuff, and WM's are often making OTC displays separate of the Saga repacked Jedi/Younglings they overordered, so they're sorta getting stuff in... though most is old OTC nobody needs now.

I've watched the same types go out of business in Pittsburgh (Creature Cantina go bye bye), or they've gone strictly to Ebaying now... There'll always be the opportunists in the world, but finding a damned Chewie figure, or R2, or something... And finding it at the local Wal-Mart or Target... These simple things should never be this complex.

3) Super Articulated Hoth Footsoldier... This is a must considering all previous attempts. head variants, removable hat, working holster w/sidearm, and rifle. Head variants would be nice (bearded, clean shaven, and a black dude).

4) Super Articulated Imperial "Snow" Stormtrooper... If the Rebs are sporting a SA trooper so should the Empire. Cloth face-mask, cloth skirt, working holster with blaster rifle. Just a nice vanilla Snowtrooper with tons of articulation.

8 ) Super Articulated Han Carbonite... The Ultimate Han Carbo, with "hybernation sickness", and normal heads, a new carbo block that would completely encase the figure, "dissolving binders", and a light-up block would be neat. Sort of ROTJ, sort of ESB, but I'll vote for it now.

9) Imperial Commander... Generic, super or VOTC Leia style articulated figure with removable officer's kepi hat (with head variants). Black uniform variant and grey uniform variant. One head has to be Jeremy Bulloch as the Officer in ESB.

10) Major Bren Derlin... Rebel Officer sculpt with good articulation, and of course the John Ratzenberger likeness. A variant with a more generic head would be cool as well.

Can bet your life savings that I'm a happy camper here... Articulation's been THE single most drawback to the Star Wars line. It's nice to see Hasbro's caught on with every other toy company but McFarlane,a nd realized that articulated toys are the way to go.